Condo Inspections in Chicago
What a Condo Inspection Covers - and What Belongs to the Association
In a condominium you own the unit; the association owns and maintains the common elements with your assessments. Our inspection follows that line. Inside the unit we inspect everything readily accessible. Beyond it, we visually note concerns worth raising with the association - we don't open mechanical rooms or walk the tower roof.
Inside the Unit: What We Inspect
- Interior walls, ceilings, and floors - stains, cracks, and signs of past leaks
- Windows, sliders, and the unit entry door
- Electrical panel, branch circuits, outlets, and GFCI protection
- Plumbing fixtures and the visible supply and drain lines inside the unit
- Heating and cooling equipment serving the unit
- In-unit water heater, including age, TPR valve, and drain pan
- Installed appliances and in-unit laundry, including dryer venting
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Balcony, assigned parking, and storage - documented visually
Common Elements: The Association's Job
- Roof, facade, masonry, and building structure
- Elevators, hallways, lobbies, and shared stairwells
- Central boilers, chillers, and cooling towers
- Main plumbing stacks, risers, and the building's sewer lateral
- Grounds, drainage, and parking structures
Balconies, assigned parking, and storage lockers are usually "limited common elements" - reserved for your use but maintained through the association. We document their visible condition so you know what to ask about before you're the one paying assessments on them.
High-Rise Condo Inspections: The Systems That Matter
In River North, Streeterville, the Gold Coast, the Loop, and the South Loop, the building handles the big systems - so the inspection comes down to the equipment inside your four walls and the envelope around them. These are the findings that come up again and again in Chicago towers.
Walk-Up & Courtyard Condos: Where Vintage Charm Meets Vintage Plumbing
Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Uptown, and Edgewater are full of condo conversions in courtyard buildings and brick walk-ups from the 1910s and '20s. They're some of the best housing stock in the city - and they come with a specific set of things worth checking before you close.
Radiators & Boilers
Steam and hot-water heat is common in vintage condos. We check the radiators and visible piping in the unit, and establish a key fact: whether heat comes from a shared building boiler (an association expense) or equipment you would own.
Galvanized Supply Lines
Buildings converted from pre-war apartments often still carry original galvanized water lines that corrode shut from the inside. We test functional flow at fixtures and look for the telltale pressure drop when two fixtures run at once.
Rear Porches
Wood porch and stair systems are a known maintenance issue on Chicago walk-ups and get real attention from the city. We visually document the condition of the porch serving the unit, so you can ask the association about repair history and planned work.
Garden Units & Overhead Sewers
Below-grade units concentrate risk: seepage at foundation walls, musty finishes, and sewer backups that land in the lowest unit first. We look for moisture evidence and check whether the building has an overhead sewer or flood-control system with ejector pits - a big deal in a city with combined sewers.
New-Construction Condos & Duplex-Downs
Across West Town, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Logan Square, builders are delivering duplex-down condos: two-level units where the living space extends below grade. New doesn't mean finished. A pre-closing inspection routinely turns up incomplete flashing at decks and roof transitions, heating and cooling equipment that was never properly commissioned, sliders out of adjustment, missing insulation, and plumbing left untested - all easiest to fix while the builder's punch list is still open and you still have leverage.
Duplex-downs deserve extra attention at the lower level: we look for moisture evidence at below-grade walls and floors, confirm drain tile and ejector-pit arrangements where visible, and check that mechanical ventilation actually serves the lower bedrooms.
Then mark your calendar for month eleven. An 11-month warranty inspection documents everything that settled, cracked, or failed during the first year, so you can submit it before the builder's one-year warranty expires. Learn more about our new-construction inspections.
The Paperwork Side: Section 22.1 Disclosures
Our inspection tells you about the unit's physical condition. The association's documents tell you about the building's financial condition - and in a condo purchase you need both.
Under Section 22.1 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act, a resale buyer can request key documents from the condo association. Ask your attorney to request and review them during attorney review - we're inspectors, not attorneys, and none of this is legal advice. Documents worth asking about include:
- Current reserve balance and any reserve study
- Pending or approved special assessments
- The association's budget and a statement of anticipated capital expenditures
- Recent board meeting minutes - often where roof, porch, or facade problems show up first
- The association's insurance coverage
A healthy reserve fund and clean minutes are as reassuring as a dry basement. Thin reserves plus a deteriorating facade can mean a special assessment is coming - exactly the kind of surprise the inspection-plus-paperwork combination is designed to catch.
Building Access, Elevators & COIs - Handled
Building Access
We coordinate with your agent and the building's management on unit access and any check-in the front desk requires.
Elevator Reservations
Some towers ask vendors to reserve a freight or service elevator window. Flag it when you book and we'll work within the building's rules.
Certificates of Insurance
Many managed buildings require a certificate of insurance (COI) from vendors before entry. Share the management contact and we'll coordinate the paperwork.
The earlier we have the management company's contact information, the smoother inspection day goes - especially in downtown buildings with tight vendor windows.
Which Add-Ons Make Sense for a Condo?
Not every add-on fits every unit - and we'd rather tell you that up front than sell you testing you don't need.
Radon Testing
Radon rises from the soil, so it's a real consideration for garden units, first floors, and duplex-downs - and rarely worth testing on the 20th floor. If your unit touches grade, add the test.
About our radon testing →Sewer Scope
In a large high-rise the lateral is the association's problem. In a small walk-up or a duplex-down, a private lateral backing up lands in the lowest unit first - yours. We'll tell you whether a scope applies to your building.
About our sewer scopes →Mold & Air Quality
Musty garden units, past window-wall leaks, and long-vacant units are the classic condo triggers for lab-analyzed air sampling. Independent testing, no remediation upsell.
About our mold testing →Chicago Condo Inspection FAQs
Buying a Condo in Chicago? Get It Inspected Right.
Call (630) 462-1050 for a quote, or request a preferred time online - our office confirms before it's final. Also see our Chicago home inspection page for single-family homes, two-flats, and townhomes.
Castle Home Inspection • 1250 E. Diehl Rd., Suite 102, Naperville, IL 60563 • (630) 462-1050 • Mon - Fri: 8 AM - 7 PM, Sat: 8 AM - 6 PM, Sunday: Closed